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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/22492846">The Worst Fear</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/Podysseus394/pseuds/Podysseus394'>Podysseus394</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>The Worst Witch (TV 2017), The Worst Witch - All Media Types</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>4x02 spoilers, Ada Cackle bothering me, Angst, Comfort, Gen, Hecate is a soft bean, Hecate reacts to being Mildred's worst fear</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-01-31</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-01-31</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-04-28 15:55:31</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>General Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>3,234</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/22492846</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/Podysseus394/pseuds/Podysseus394</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>Hecate hears Mildred shout about the Miss Hardbroom-Spider while fighting the Auxiliar Familiar. Hecate is troubled by the fact that the Worst Witch seems to be afraid of her. Wholesomeness ensues.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Hardbroom &amp; Mildred Hubble</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>9</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>115</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>The Worst Fear</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>It had taken Hecate Hardbroom a split second to jump into action as the largest Auxiliar Familiar she had ever seen slithered into her Potions Laboratory; but in an instant, she knew that she could not subdue it alone. Her arms outstretched to cast a protection spell, but she was forced to retreat up the steps towards the rest of the students.</p>
<p>“It is too...” she gasped weakly, “strong!”</p>
<p>Hecate’s priority was protecting her girls, all screaming and terrified for their lives. Understandably so. She leaned back as far as her spine would allow, extending the spell over every student, and keeping a watchful eye on one Mildred Hubble. If she survived this assault, she would be having <em>very strong words</em> with the wretched girl.</p>
<p>She looked on in horror as Mildred ran around the barrier towards the steaming cauldron, but she was unable to stretch her magic further to encase the girl without risking the safety of the other students.</p>
<p>Despite the loud hissing emanating from the Familiar she quickly realised had belonged to Gertrude the Great, and the inordinate amount of magical energy she was exerting to keep said familiar away from her students, Hecate was able to hear a newly ginger Mildred Hubble shout at the giant green snake.</p>
<p>
  <em>“I survived the Miss Hardbroom spider, do you think I’m scared of you?”</em>
</p>
<p>Hecate faltered for a moment but maintained her focus on the strong shield spell she was casting. There was the imminent threat of this horrific familiar trying to kill her, and Mildred Hubble was more afraid of her Form Mistress? She shook the thought from her mind and shepherded the younger girls out of the Laboratory, not taking her eyes off the serpent for a second, as beads of sweat gathered on her forehead.</p>
<p>But then Mildred Hubble revealed her own Auxiliar Familiar form. She watched in awe as Mildred’s giant golden eagle emerged from the cauldron, then swooped down to engage the snake. However, not once did she attack the much larger form; instead, she focused her efforts on defence and evasion, as Gertrude the Great launched at her.</p>
<p>Hecate’s heart was in her mouth as she watched her student battle one of the greatest prodigies the witching world had ever known. She was tempted to enter the fray herself but to do that she would have to leave the rest of the students defenceless. The formidable witch doubled the intensity of the magical barrier to prevent the melee from escaping to the rest of the school, but she felt her strength waning. Thankfully, Mildred’s eagle was beginning to overpower Gertrude’s snake, forcing it back towards the cauldron which would break the spell. Hecate’s hands were trembling from the sheer effort of sustaining her own spell, while she tried to help Mildred guide the snake back.</p>
<p>And she was successful. Gertrude the Great Deceiver herself appeared in a plume of green smoke, and it was all Hecate could do not to pass out there and then. But she held out, watching on as Mabel Tapioca, insufferable girl, materialised from invisibility to roughly shove the former Head Girl into her own Portal of Banishment. She decided she didn’t have the energy to keep the cook’s daughter in detention for her violation of the rules surrounding unauthorised invisibility potions; and besides, she had been responsible for dealing with Gertrude Hallow.</p>
<p>Without waiting to be dismissed, Hecate shakily transferred to her quarters to wait for the summons she would surely receive from Ada after she had dealt with Mildred Hubble’s transgressions. Then Hecate would question Ada regarding her own transgressions. Why had she just stood there? Hecate hadn’t been so weakened since the Big Freeze, which had rendered her practically useless for six days. That might not have been the case if Ada had interfered. She had been close enough to the cauldron to call upon her own Auxiliar Familiar, and her form of a lion would have been much more suitable for combat than Hecate’s raven. It would also have prevented the responsibility for overcoming the renegade witch from falling on the shoulders of Mildred Hubble.</p>
<p>Hecate was then reminded of the comment made by the young witch before she transformed.</p>
<p>
  <em>“I survived the Miss Hardbroom spider, do you think I’m scared of you?”</em>
</p>
<p>Hecate wondered what on earth had happened with Gertrude the Great, for her to be seen as a spider. She shuddered, the thought of herself in arachnid-form making her uncomfortable.</p>
<p>The imposing Potions Mistress had always prided herself on having a reputation for discipline, but for a student to be outright afraid of her? The notion was a blow to the heart. She had spent the past three years of her life looking out for Mildred Hubble. She had sent Mildred home when Agatha had taken over the castle, had even shielded her from her own mother when Julie Hubble was corrupted by unlawful magic. Hecate’s methods may have been unorthodox, but her underlying aim was to prevent the girl from harming herself or others.</p>
<p>The constant threats of expulsion were to try to show the unruly witch that there were potential consequences to her actions, she told herself. Surely Mildred must have known her teacher would never cast her out; she had only expelled her in her first year for her own safety. Her other misdemeanours were severe enough to warrant expulsion, but Hecate had always fought for the girl to stay. She had used a Wishing Star, for Mab’s sake, to perform the most forbidden magic, and all Hecate had tried to do was <em>help her</em>.</p>
<p>She sank down into her wingback chair by the roaring fire, holding her chest, as tears gathered at the corners of her eyes. Her familiar, Morgana, leapt from her perch on the desk to Hecate’s lap. She circled a few times before settling and nudged Hecate in some show of comfort. This only made Hecate sob more.</p>
<hr/>
<p>Mildred Hubble, feeling suitably chastised by her conversation with Miss Cackle, was just about to leave the headmistress’ office. She was pleased, although apprehensive, about the decision not to disqualify her from the Head Girl selection, but something else was weighing heavy on her mind.</p>
<p>“Miss Cackle, where would I find Miss Hardbroom now?” Mildred asked quietly, turning back to face the headmistress.</p>
<p>“I assume she would be in her chambers by now, today’s incident must surely have exhausted her,” Miss Cackled mused. “What is it you need her for?”</p>
<p>“I said something earlier that I think might have hurt her feelings, and I just wanted to apologise,” Mildred confessed, her head dropping in guilt.</p>
<p>“Well, I wouldn’t disturb her unless it’s very important, she gets quite cranky when she’s tired,” the Headmistress winked conspiratorially, causing Mildred to smile slightly. “Besides, I must debrief with her now; if you’d like, I can let you know when she returns to her rooms?”</p>
<p>Mildred agreed thankfully, running off to find Maud and Enid.</p>
<hr/>
<p>Hecate heard the ping of her maglet from across the room and summoned it to her waiting hand. She had been expecting some form of correspondence from Ada, but she felt too drained, both magically and emotionally, to process what the message said.</p>
<p>That was why she was dreadfully startled by the knock on her door, which she opened cautiously after concealing any evidence of her emotional turmoil. She stepped back to let the short headmistress in, who made herself comfortable in the twin chair by the fire. The usually stern deputy followed.</p>
<p>“Good evening, Hecate. Might I inquire as to how you are feeling?” Ada asked tentatively. She could tell by the tension in Hecate’s shoulders and the almost pained look on her face that something was wrong, and that she had to tread carefully.</p>
<p>“Fine, thank you, Ada” Hecate refused to show weakness in front of her friend, given the confusion she was feeling about her earlier actions. Best that she sleeps on it, she thought, and come up with a more formulated response. But the headmistress would not be deterred so easily.</p>
<p>“I’m sure you must be tired after today’s disaster?” Ada raised an eyebrow, trying to gauge her deputy’s reaction.</p>
<p>“No more than usual.” Her response was curt, but the fatigue she was feeling was crushing. This was apparent to the woman sat opposite her.</p>
<p>“What you did today was not usual, Hecate,” Ada started gently. “You performed admirably to protect the students, at great risk to yourself and your magic.”</p>
<p>“Maybe it wouldn’t have been so much of a risk if I’d had assistance,” Hecate sniped under her breath. And there it was. Ada sighed and sat back in her chair.</p>
<p>“I apologise for my inaction today, I truly believed Mildred had it under control.” Ada at least had the decency to look abashed, but this only made Hecate more incensed.</p>
<p>“It shouldn’t have been her responsibility,” Hecate hissed sharply. “She is a student, just fourteen years old, and you believed the best thing to do was to allow her to battle the most threatening witch Cackle’s has ever produced? Where is your common sense?</p>
<p>“Mildred has had to save this school countless times, and that weight should not ever be put on someone as young and inexperienced as she. I am her teacher, her guardian while she is away from her mother, I have a duty of care, and if anything were to happen to her because of my failings <em>I would never forgive myself</em>.” Hecate slumped back into her seat, not realising she had even stood up. Pain bloomed in her chest, and she wasn’t sure whether it was from practically draining her magic or from the embarrassment of admitting that she cared for Mildred Hubble like a daughter.</p>
<p>Ada smiled weakly as she stood up and put a hand on her deputy’s shoulder.</p>
<p>“I apologise again, Hecate. I will allow you time to recover from your ordeal, and we will prepare additional safeguarding procedures tomorrow, to ensure something like this doesn’t happen again. Do try to relax, my dear.”</p>
<p>Hecate gave a most undignified snort at the implication that she should relax. She rested her forehead on her hand, which signified to the headmistress that it was time to leave. But as she reached the door, she turned back into the room.</p>
<p>“Fair warning, but I believe Mildred Hubble might also be paying you a visit tonight. She seems to think she has upset you in some way, and she would like to apologise in person. Goodnight, Hecate.”</p>
<p>As the door quietly clicked shut, Hecate sharply exhaled. The visit from the source of her current torment was the last thing she needed, especially in the state she was in. Making the decision that, if Mildred Hubble were to knock on her door, she would just not answer. Pretend to be busy. Or asleep.</p>
<p>Despite her usual aversion to sleep, the fact that Hecate hadn’t properly slept for the last three nights meant that the idea was actually starting to sound quite pleasant. With that in mind, she began her preparations for bed. One by one, she took out the many pins that she meticulously put in that morning. It grounded her to have a routine such as this, even though it would have been much quicker to do it by magic. A mass of pins accumulated on her dressing table and her long dark curls fell loose around her shoulders. Massaging her scalp, which was aching from her tightly pulled hair, she transferred into her long nightdress, dark like her usual attire. The cold draught hit her bare shoulders, so she summoned her dressing gown and wrapped it around her shoulders. She was just about to remove her makeup when she heard an agitated knocking at the door.</p>
<p>Hecate knew at once that it was Mildred Hubble on the other side, who else would dare disturb her so close to curfew? She stared at the door for a minute, resisting the urge to open it and give the insolent girl a tongue-lashing. Then, a sheet of paper slid under the door. Rolling her eyes, Hecate went to pick it up. Mildred’s messy scrawl was familiar, and Hecate skimmed the note, eyes widening.</p>
<p>Before she could even think to stop herself, she flung the door open and ran after her student. Mildred had obviously run away as fast as she could, her cheeks were red, and she was breathing heavily.</p>
<p>“Mildred Hubble,” Hecate called, perhaps more frantically than she would have liked. The girl looked at her in surprise, whether at the way she had been addressed, the relaxed appearance of her Form Mistress, or the fact that she had just seen HB <em>run</em>.</p>
<p>“Yes, Miss Hardbroom? I was just heading back to my room, I didn’t want to be out past curfew,” Mildred replied rapidly, eager not to get into any more trouble than she already had that day.</p>
<p>“A word, if I may?” Hecate gestured back towards her quarters. Looking nervous, Mildred agreed. She transferred the two of them into her sitting room and invited Mildred to take a seat in the chair Ada Cackle had not long vacated.</p>
<p>“Tea?” The Potions Mistress asked softly, watching her student look around the room in wonder. Mildred was surprised by the offer and gratefully accepted the china teacup.</p>
<p>“Can I have some sugar please, Miss Hardbroom?” Hecate was horrified as the girl put <em>five</em> spoons of sugar into the cup, the spoon clinking loudly against the sides.</p>
<p>“I wanted to discuss a comment you made earlier, during… the episode with the Auxiliar Familiar,” Hecate paused, unsure of what to say next.</p>
<p>“That’s what I wanted to talk to you about! I’m honestly not scared of you, HB, Gertrude convinced me that the secret ingredient to the potion was confidence so put me in scary situations to help me overcome my fears! She even turned me into a mouse and locked me in the kitten room!” Hecate’s eyebrows shot up at this, but Mildred carried on talking.</p>
<p>“But before that she made me close my eyes and asked me what I was afraid of, and I said the dark, and spiders, and you. She thought I meant that I was frightened by you, which I’m not, I just was scared of letting you down, ‘cos you’re like my magic mum! So, she conjured a giant spider with your face on it, and it said some nasty things, then I fell out of the window-”</p>
<p>“Enough, Mildred Hubble,” Hecate held up a hand to stop the girl’s rambling. She swallowed thickly, processing the fact that Mildred wasn’t afraid of her. She saw her as a second mother. It made her think of what could have been, had she not been confined to Cackle’s for thirty years. Would she have had a tall, dark-haired child of her own? She pushed down the emotion threatening to overwhelm her, as she realised that Mildred was waiting for her to say something.</p>
<p>“I’m not even going to ask why you thought it a good idea to reanimate a portrait, or how you fell out of the window,” Hecate sighed, exasperated. “What did spider-me have to say to you?” Mildred went quiet, and her eyes were transfixed on the cup in her hands. Hecate raised an expectant eyebrow, waiting for a response.</p>
<p>“You- I mean it, - said that I would fail at the task, that I would be a laughingstock, and…” Mildred hesitated.</p>
<p>“What else, Mildred?” Hecate quietly encouraged her to continue.</p>
<p>“And that I would have to spend the summer with you, since mum would be working, and I’d have to do my hair like yours,” she blurted out, then clapped her hands over her mouth. “But that wouldn’t be a bad thing! I like your hair, and I’d learn lots about magic even if I was run out of Cackle’s!”</p>
<p>Hecate’s heart sank. Spending a summer with her was supposed to be frightening? She stared into the roaring fire, unable to meet Mildred’s eyes.</p>
<p>“I was frightened by the spider, not you, Miss Hardbroom. I knew the things it was saying weren’t true. I doubt you would put up with me for a whole summer,” Mildred giggled, in an attempt to lighten the mood. Hecate gave a pained smile but struggled to find humour in the situation.</p>
<p>“I do not want you to be afraid of me,” Hecate whispered, more vulnerable than Mildred had ever seen her. “I understand I have a reputation for strictness, and I have been especially harsh on you and your friends, but I only do so out of concern. You are a powerful witch, your Auxiliar Familiar proved that much today, but I don’t want to see your magic run out of control and cause harm since you have so much potential. As your Form Mistress, I have a responsibility to look after you girls, and it would be remiss of me to let you think I am unapproachable. When you are struggling with your magic, I should be the one you turn to. I fear I haven’t been very good in giving you the confidence to do so. And I am sorry I couldn’t have aided you more against Gertrude.”</p>
<p>Mildred’s mouth was hanging open. Miss Hardbroom had said she was powerful, and apologised? She gaped for a moment but stopped before her teacher told her to stop catching flies.</p>
<p>“But you held up that massive shield for ages, Mis Hardbroom! That was amazing! You kept everyone safe even though you could have been hurt. Thank you for protecting everyone from my mistake, I’m really glad you’re okay.”</p>
<p>Tears inexplicably threatened to spill over, so Hecate stood up and deposited her cup on the sideboard, giving her a chance to compose herself. However, she was not expecting two arms to wrap around her or feel Mildred Hubble’s head pressed against her back. She froze, unsure of what to do.</p>
<p>“It’s a hug, Miss Hardbroom. You can hug me back if you want,” Mildred said, her voice muffled by Hecate’s hair and dressing gown. Very slowly, Hecate turned around and tentatively put her arms around the girl. Mildred made no acknowledgement of the sniffles she heard from her teacher, for which she was very grateful. Hecate made to pull away, but Mildred tightened her hold.</p>
<p>“Alright, Mildred, don’t push your luck. It’s high time for you to head to bed. I shall transfer you to your room, seeing as it is past curfew.”</p>
<p>“Thanks for the tea, and for not giving me detention,” Mildred smiled warmly.</p>
<p>“Whatever gave you the impression I wasn’t going to give you detention? You will be helping tidy up the art storage room for the next two weeks,” Hecate smirked, knowing that Mildred was aware of the leniency of her punishment.</p>
<p>“Yes, Miss Hardbroom. Goodnight!”</p>
<p>“Goodnight, Mildred Hubble.”</p>
<p>“Also, I think you should wear your hair down more often, it makes you look less ol-” Hecate transferred her away before she could finish what would have been an insulting sentence. She slipped into her bed, Morgana padding in the room behind her, and allowed herself to shed the tears she had held back. But these were tears of relief and exhaustion, rather than sadness. She slept easily, knowing that she wasn’t the worst fear of the Worst Witch.</p>
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